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Criminal Justice

Allentown woman sentenced to state prison for toddler’s drug death

allentown-police
K.C. Lopez
/
WLVR
Jayleen Rivas-Rodriguez, 36, was sentenced to serve five to 15 years in state prison after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child.

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — An Allentown woman could serve more than a decade in prison for the death of her toddler four years ago.

Jayleen Rivas-Rodriguez, 36, was sentenced Monday to serve five to 15 years in state prison.

She pleaded guilty in November 2024 to involuntary manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child, the Lehigh County District Attorney’s office announced in a release.

Johansy Suarez-Rivas died April 5, 2021, at St. Luke’s Hospital-Sacred Heart from fentanyl toxicity. The amount of fentanyl in his heart blood was measured at 16.5 nanograms per millimeter.
Law enforcement authorities

Johansy Suarez-Rivas died April 5, 2021, at St. Luke’s Hospital-Sacred Heart from fentanyl toxicity, authorities have said. The amount of fentanyl in his heart blood was measured at 16.5 nanograms per millimeter.

Jorge Suarez-Santiago, Johansy’s father, pleaded guilty in March to involuntary manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child. He’s set to be sentenced June 16.

Authorities said Suarez-Santiago, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Rivas-Rodriguez used heroin hours before their son’s death.

Rivas-Rodriguez left Johansy at home with Suarez-Santiago and found him unresponsive when she returned, according to the release.

The district attorney’s office said both Suarez-Santiago and Rivas-Rodriguez had “a duty of care, protection and support for their child.”